Web-Only article

There was no dearth of data at the National Retail Federation's Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO in Los Angeles last month. Sadly, much of it confirmed what many LP executives have speculated on for months – namely, that losses linked to shoplifting, employee theft and organized retail crime are inching upward as a result of the dour economy.

Timberland’s B2B website has become a 24-hour lifeline for wholesale customers and an invaluable tool for increasing sales and containing costs. The e-commerce system enables Timberland’s account and customer service reps, as well as the company’s customers, to conduct business more efficiently online through a product catalog and immediate access to updated inventory, an e-mail manager and a content management system.

If you’re nostalgic for the days when neighborhood kids delivered newspapers and circulars, you may be in luck. Home delivery is back — but now it’s digital.

ShopLocal, a Chicago-based multi-channel shopping service, has launched Paperboy, technology that effectively takes the information in a retailer’s circular and expands its reach by making targeted, interactive banner ads available across the web. These ads can take geography and demographics into account, as well as target merchandise based on consumer search queries.